


With Lambo

by Mai_Blade



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Age Difference, Don't copy to another site, Drabble Collection, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Older Woman/Younger Man, Please Don't Hate Me, Read the warnings, Reader-Insert, Secret Relationship, Underage Kissing, minor appearances from other characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:48:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 66
Words: 11,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24649726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mai_Blade/pseuds/Mai_Blade
Summary: You just wanted to be with Lambo.It was as simple and complicated as that.
Relationships: (Slight) Spanner/Reader, Implied Sawada Tsunayoshi/Miura Haru, Lambo Bovino/Reader
Kudos: 27





	1. Happy

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, first up: **DON'T READ IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH AN OLDER WOMAN/YOUNGER MAN RELATIONSHIP**.
> 
> Also: I do not support this kind of relationship in real life.
> 
> This is a finished fic, but I'll be editing and doing some rewriting for it. I'll post once per weekday, except when I can't (during holidays, work-related, home-related, etc.).
> 
> * * *

**People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy.**

**~Anton Chekhov**

* * *

Rain fell heavily from the cloudy grey sky as you held your umbrella over your head in addition to your raincoat and rubber boots, the latter of which splashed through puddles on the cobbled street. Despite the gloomy weather, a grin tugged at your lips as you hurried along, heart beating in anticipation. You were almost there, and he was usually punctual. A heavy curtain of raindrops fell into the canal beneath a bridge as you crossed over it, hand reaching up to lift your hood slightly as you peered at the street on the other side. 

Ah-hah, there he is!

A familiar figure holding an umbrella turned and caught sight of you. You saw him raise a hand in greeting, calling your name. Your grin became a full-fledged smile as you hurried across that last distance, a warm feeling expanding in your chest as it always did when you were with him.

Lambo smiled at you through the onslaught of rain. 

“Goodness, this weather, huh?”

You simply nodded, but in truth, you were grateful for the cover the rain provided. Your paranoia never went away, not when you knew who you were dating, but weather like this… well, it wasn’t a negative to you anymore like it used to be.


	2. Smile

**A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.**

**~Phyllis Diller**

* * *

Papers, papers, more papers… who knew there was so much paperwork in the mafia? Your frustration did a slow burn as your brows furrowed and you scowled, making all the progress of a snail. Thinking back, if you’d known that you’d be working for the mafia, you definitely wouldn’t have taken that job the cousin of a great-uncle’s niece’s friend’s friend had offered you.

…Yeah, that convoluted web should have been the first red flag, but desperation had narrowed your vision by quite a lot. Being on the verge of homelessness could do that to a person.

A cool breeze drifted into the room, further irritating you instead of relaxing you when said breeze caused a few loose pages to flutter from the desk to the floor. Your scowl deepened as you stooped to pick up the rebellious papers, frustration reaching critical levels within you.

“Goodness,” a familiar voice said, drifting in through the same window as the vexing breeze. “Where has my candy disappeared to? I was sure I had a piece or two left…”

You knew that voice. The face it conjured did what the breeze couldn’t, and you felt your body relax as some of your mounting frustration eased. Picking up the papers from the floor, you sorted them back to their piles before heading over to the window. Looking out, you couldn’t see him anywhere, but you had definitely heard his voice.

Thinking of him, you couldn’t help but smile, just a little.


	3. Don't Go

**Beauty makes fools of the wise.**

**~Wayne Gerard Trotman**

* * *

Darkness was slowly giving way to light. Dawn was coming, and that meant you had to leave soon.

Shifting quietly in bed you turned your head to look at the clock on the nightstand. It was early, but getting late for you. It wouldn’t do to get caught with him. Holding back a sigh, and with utmost reluctance, you pulled the covers away from your body and carefully extracted your arm from under his head. Sitting up and making to move off the bed as silently as you could, you startled slightly as a hand suddenly clasped yours. You looked down at your partner in surprise, having expected him to still be sleeping as he usually was when you left.

Lambo strengthened his sleepy grasp on you, staring pleadingly up at you, his hair tousled more than usual from sleep and your… “entwining” before you’d both fallen asleep.

( _god, what are you, a blushing teenager? the fact that you can’t even say the direct word in your own mind is just another sign that this with him is—_ )

He doesn’t say anything, knew better than to try pleading with words, but his sleepy grip on your hand strengthened just a bit. Your surprised expression melted away as you gazed down at him through the dim darkness. This boy is just so gorgeous and irresistible. 

( _absolutely beautiful, and_ he _looked in your direction_ first)

Your will evaporated and suddenly you were back in bed, arms wrapping around him as you buried your face in the crook of his neck.

For just a few moments longer, you indulge.


	4. Frustration

**Anything cracked will shatter at a touch.**

**~Ovid**

* * *

It’s been months since your forbidden relationship with Lambo Bovino began, and you are no closer to letting go of your paranoia than when it first began. It wears on you, being nigh constantly worried that this tangled yarn of a relationship would unravel in the worst way. You couldn’t take it anymore, the stress, the anxiety…

The heartache.

Because while you could be with him in secret, you couldn’t be with him out in the open. He was born into and was a part of the mafia. You were born a civilian and only came to work for the mafia by mere chance, a misinterpretation on your part for what kind of company you’d be working for.

Most glaringly of all, he was only _sixteen_. 

You couldn’t deal with this anymore. After working for your “boss” for nearly two years, you doubted you could just leave, but if you ended this thing with Lambo then you could at least make your involvement feel less painful. You just had tell Lambo to not come around anymore, to stay away from you, and if he’d do that then certainly you could put him out of your mind and forget this ever happened.

Gathering up your courage and willpower, you choked out his name.

“Lambo.”

He smiled at you, oblivious to your inner thoughts. “Yes?”

You faltered at the sound of his voice and found your willpower beginning to crack as you gazed at him. You had called him to tell him you couldn’t see him anymore but having him here in front of you, with no indication that he felt even the slightest the same about going your separate ways…

( _would anyone like this ever come your way again?_ )

Your feelings twisted in your chest as you swallowed back words and leaned forward instead. The gleam in his eyes further smothered any will to tell him to leave, and the fact that he met you halfway blew all thought of breaking up right out of your mind.

( _or rather,_ almost _, but not completely, and you could ignore that part of you for a while longer_ )


	5. Story

**We all have doors inside us that should never be opened. God help us all when we find the keys to unlock them.**

**~Nenia Campbell**

* * *

They say that people are the heroes of their own stories. Sometimes, this is as far as people think on the analogy, content to agree with such a sentiment.

Well, maybe you are the hero of your own story, your own life, but you are aware of the fact that you also serve as the secret older lover in someone else’s. You play a supporting role in Lambo’s story, just as he does in yours.

However, you are also aware that by doing so, you are potentially an antagonist in the story of those who care about him. After all, you are an adult in a physical relationship with their young ward/friend/whatever. Erk—under ‘whatever’ is the titanic title of “Guardian”, which you don’t completely understand, though you are aware that it’s _important_.

There are consequences waiting for you if you are discovered. You can’t see this story—your story—having a happy end with your young lover.

And yet, you let the story continue as it is because when he calls your name, you can’t help but answer.


	6. Chapter 6

**Banning something is the easiest way to make it desirable.**

**~Tapan Ghosh, Faceless The Only Way Out**

* * *

You could feel his open eye burning a hole in your head. Frowning down at your papers, you resolutely decided to not look up. If you looked up, you were a goner. You had to stay focused or you’d fall behind in your work. Again.

( _he’s terrible for your work ethic now and then_ ) 

“Goodness,” Lambo sighed theatrically. You heard him shift in his seat. “It’s certainly hot today, isn’t it?”

Your hand clenched your pen painfully, eyes firmly directed to the meaningless words in front of you as you heard fabric rustle. No, no, no, no… Slowly, ever so slowly, you forced your hand to continue writing. For a few moments, nothing but the scratch of your pen could be heard.

“You’re being unnecessarily cold,” Lambo complained. He sighed again as you continued ignoring him. You heard him shuffle but didn’t look up to see how he had moved. When he spoke again, though, his voice was much closer than before. “My, my… don’t you think it’s hot?”

You twitched as his hair suddenly stroked against yours. You gritted your teeth and tried to threaten him. “I’ll call Gokudera-san to come kick you out of—“

But you lifted your head, and he took the opportunity to steal a kiss. When he moved to pull away, he laughed lightly as you immediately reached out and pulled him back for another. 

He knew you’d never call anyone to do that. Plus, he’d won the instant you reached out to him, so for him, today was a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, so I did some math and figured it'd be more than three months to finish posting this if I kept to the schedule I'd proposed. So, instead of once per week day, it will be twice per week day (excluding days when I can't, i.e. holidays, power outages, sickness, etc.).
> 
> So next week, it's twice-per-day, unless something comes up.


	7. Flower

**A little attention, a little kindness, a little thoughtfulness are worth more than all the wealth in the world.**

**~Avijeet Das**

* * *

You stumbled into your apartment, having stayed rather late to finish work. Damn Lambo, he could be such a distraction at the most inconvenient of times. If he wasn’t accidentally destroying something, misplacing paperwork, annoying you with something, or calling about small nothings then he was… 

A blush spread across your face and you decided to not follow that train of thought anymore. No, you were just going to get out of these clothes and go straight to bed. _Alone._

You paused in the doorway to your bedroom and groaned softly as you realized that you had to remove your makeup or wake up to a mess. Grumbling, you turned around and headed to the bathroom. A while later, you walked out while unbuttoning your blouse.

Walking into your bedroom, you didn’t bother to switch the light on and continued undressing. It was only when you were in your nightshirt and pulling back the cover of your bed that an unexpected anomaly caught your eye. Your eyes had somewhat adjusted to the dark, and there was a dark shape on one of your pillows. Praying it wasn’t a mouse or rat, you carefully reached over to your bedside lamp and flicked it on.

A single red tulip greeted you. There was only one person who could have left this, one person you gave a key to, and you knew who it was. Despite your fatigue, a soft smile formed on your face as you picked up the flower. This was a simple, thoughtful gift from your young lover.

Tired as you were, you still took the time to go put it in a glass of water. As you placed it on a windowsill with other flowers, you mused to yourself that you really should get some proper vases.

Trailing a finger along the soft petals of the red tulip, you made a mental note to thank Lambo later.

( _never realizing that flowers have a language and that he’s trying to tell you something through them_ )


	8. House with a Picket Fence

**Very occasionally, if you pay really close attention, life doesn't suck.**

**~Joss Whedon**

* * *

When you forgot the larger world and Lambo’s dangerous underworld as well, your office could have been removed from reality. Sitting with his head on your lap, both of you completely relaxed as a breeze drifted in through an open window was a blissful moment you knew that you’d look back on. This place alone with only the narrow view outside your windows could have been part of a house somewhere out in the country anywhere at all. When you forgot everything except him being here with you…

It could have been a perfect paradise; the kind young girls dream about for their future.


	9. Fear

**Fear is the lengthened shadow of ignorance.**

**~Arnold Glasow**

* * *

You could see the bandage. It was wrapped around his torso and shoulder. He had buttoned up more buttons than usual, but not enough to keep you from spying the spreading red stain. Somehow, he’d been injured, but doing what? Was he shot? Cut? You’re too afraid to ask, but you can’t tear your eyes away either.

“Ah,” Lambo said, suddenly realizing you could see something on him. He looked down and saw it too. “Goodness…” Darn, he’d been trying to keep that from you. He smiled slightly as he buttoned up his shirt completely. “D-Don’t worry about it. I’m fine.”

Your heart continued pounding in your chest as he came over and put his arm, the one furthest away from his wound, around your shoulders. He gently squeezed and repeated himself.

“I’m fine. Really.”

You lean your head against his shoulder and choose to pretend to believe him.


	10. Kiss

**Kiss me, and you will see how important I am.**

**~Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath**

* * *

Usually, it was Lambo who rested his head on your lap, but today he’d switched things up so that your positions were reversed. It was somewhat awkward at first, given that he was the younger one here, but his hand worked magic on your scalp and soon you were putty in his hands. Feeling lazy, your mind idly focused on his signature shirt.

His cow-print shirt always struck you as slightly ridiculous. What sort of young man wore such a pattern? Sure, he fit it somehow, but still, from what you’d heard he’d been wearing the same kind of pattern since he was a child. Surely he wasn’t planning on wearing it _forever_ , right?

“Goodness, what are you thinking about to be staring such holes into me?”

You blinked and shifted your gaze from his shirt to his face. Lambo smiled down at you, his hand gently rubbing your scalp, keeping you pliable on his lap. You shook your head slightly, closing your eyes in contentment.

“Nothing much…”

You certainly weren’t going to tell him you were wondering about his fashion sense, not when, ultimately, you liked what he wore. 

Comfortable silence fell as you both stayed relaxed, alone in your apartment. Birds chirped out the open window and you heard leaves rustling in a breeze.

“Can I get a kiss?”

Your face warmed at his honest request, and you opened your eyes to look up. He was smiling gently, looking for all the world a though there was nowhere else he’d rather be than right here with you.

Such a look could not go unanswered.

Rising up and supporting yourself with one arm, you closed your eyes and waited.

A soft sound left you as you felt his lips press against yours, one of his hands coming up to cradle the side of your face.

If only time could stop right now…


	11. Masquerade

**Nothing makes it easier to resist temptation than a proper bringing-up, a sound set of values - and witnesses.**

**~Franklin P. Jones**

* * *

When you are out in public, and especially ( _usually_ ) while you are under the same roof as your boss, you pretend you don’t see Lambo as anything other than another person above your position. You pretend that his voice doesn’t call to you, or that the sight of him makes your heart jump (though for what reason depends on your surroundings). You pretend as though it doesn’t hurt that you can’t acknowledge him in public, not the way he wants you to.

Your façade comes off as being polite but almost cold to the young Thunder Guardian, a trait most everyone assumes is your true face when nothing could be further from the truth.


	12. Wall

**Sticks and stones are hard on bones  
Aimed with angry art,  
Words can sting like anything  
But silence breaks the heart.**

**~Phyllis McGinley, "Ballade of Lost Objects," 1954**

* * *

“Goodness,” Lambo murmured sadly, draping his arms around your shoulders from behind your chair later that week. He sighed into your hair. “It still cuts me to the quick when you pretend in public that I don’t exist…”

Your hand continues writing across the pages spread before you, chest aching but none of it showing on your face.

Lambo was silent for a moment before he spoke again, tone hurt. “You don’t always have to keep it up when we’re alone. I know my age bothers you, but please… don’t let it come between us.”

You stop writing and set down your pen to reach up and grab his arm. You don’t remove as it momentarily feared, but instead you gently squeeze him.

Neither of you said anything for a good long while as you both stayed frozen like that.


	13. Traitor

**The silence depressed me. It wasn't the silence of silence. It was my own silence.**

**~Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar**

* * *

It’s late and Lambo is sleepless, mind still on his girlfriend and their complicated relationship. He has no one to blame but himself, really. She would never have made the first move on her own, he’s the one who started all this. Okay, maybe some of the blame is on her since she didn’t exactly fight his advances too hard, but still. He’s the one who wanted this, her.

He just hadn’t thought how hard it would be to have a relationship that his partner didn’t want to acknowledge in public. Although, given how big brother Tsuna could be about some things, maybe she had a point…

Sighing, Lambo pushed aside his covers and sat up. Sliding his feet into his slippers, he shuffled out of his bedroom and down to the kitchen. Maybe some warm milk would help him fall asleep?

He’s just finished pouring the warmed milk into a mug when someone enters the kitchen. It’s I-pin, and she hides a yawn behind her hand before tiredly greeting him. He takes a seat as she sets about warming more milk, though she pulls out the cocoa mix to make hot chocolate. They don’t say anything, and Lambo gets lost in his thoughts again.

“Is something bothering you?”

Glancing over at her, Lambo saw that I-pin was half turned towards him, head slightly cocked. He looked back at his mug and shrugged helplessly.

He wants to talk, to share his troubles. He wants advice. He wants someone to cheer him on.

But… she had asked him not to tell, asked him to promise her he wouldn’t tell _anyone_. She’d been holding his hands at that time, and he’d felt them trembling. She had been so scared that making that promise was the only thing he could have done. He doesn’t want to break that promise, not when it seemed so important to her. He doesn’t want to betray her trust and faith in him.

He doesn’t want to be a traitor.

He answered with a strained smile. “I just couldn’t sleep.” 

I-Pin’s stare told him she didn’t believe that was everything.


	14. Tell the Truth

**I know it is a bad thing to break a promise, but I think now that it is a worse thing to let a promise break you.**

**~Jennifer Donnelly, A Northern Light**

* * *

“You’re lying.”

I-Pin’s flat tone made him twitch. He can’t look up at his childhood friend and fellow family member. She’s always seen through him too easily.

He glumly sipped from his mug as she finished preparing her cup of hot chocolate. It wasn’t long before she was taking a seat next to him. The silence stretched on for a while longer as they both nursed their drinks, but then he felt her gently nudge him with her elbow. Reluctantly, knowing he was going to crack, he looked over to her. She stared back at him with clear eyes.

“You can talk to me about anything.”

Lambo knows that. He’s known I-Pin since they were small. He knows he can trust her in ways he can’t trust some things with others like Gokudera or even big brother Tsuna.

_“Please promise me.”_

He promised, he knows, but it’s not as though I-Pin would betray him. At least, he doesn’t think so. What’s eleven years of friendship worth if he can’t trust her to keep a secret?

He bites his lip but I-Pin doesn’t rush him.

Haltingly, the story escapes from his mouth, but the more he talks, the smoother it comes out. It’s just the two of them in the dead of night, and he feels safe talking to her.

I-Pin doesn’t say anything, doesn’t judge either him or his girlfriend, and Lambo feels lighter than he has in days.


	15. Commitment

**The most important things are the hardest to say, because words diminish them.**

**~Stephen King**

* * *

His story trailed off, ending with why he’d felt the need to come to the kitchen in the middle of the night. There was silence as I-Pin was sipping her hot chocolate as his story ended. His thumbs twiddled against the handle of his empty mug as he waited nervously for her to speak.

“Age doesn’t matter,” I-Pin finally said, setting down her own mug. She placed the heel of her hand underneath her chin, leaned on it, and met his gaze. She stared to make sure he was listening before she spoke again. 

“What matters is commitment. Do you love her?”

Lambo clasped the mug of now cold milk, the happy face of his girlfriend instantly jumping to his mind. He closed his eyes and felt himself smile. 

He knew the answer to that question.


	16. Nightmares

**Even if she be not harmed, her heart may fail her in so much and so many horrors; and hereafter she may suffer--both in waking, from her nerves, and in sleep, from her dreams.**

**~Bram Stoker, Dracula**

* * *

You didn’t have to be asleep to have nightmares. 

Nightmares came to you in broad daylight with your eyes wide open, plaguing your thoughts and waking days. Before Lambo, you never had to worry about being outed because there was nothing to out. You’d been a normal person, and the worst someone could pin you with was illegally downloaded music and maybe petty theft of candy. However, now you were an adult in a physical relationship with an underage teenage boy. Dark thoughts were never far from the forefront of your thoughts now. 

You could just image the moment it would all end and Lambo would be taken away from you.

It could happen as the doors to your office burst open and you were dragged away amidst shouting and disgusted glares. It could happen as you lay together in bed, people suddenly storming in and tearing him away from your arms, denouncing you as a monster. It could happen in the form of the other Guardians, telling you Lambo wouldn’t be coming around anymore as they pin with you cold stares. It could happen quietly, Vongola Decimo’s gentle but firm voice simply saying that you will not be seeing Lambo anymore.

It could happen when the words come from Lambo’s own lips, saying he didn’t want to be with you anymore...

You didn’t have to be asleep to have nightmares.


	17. Dreams

**You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.**

**~Dr. Seuss**

* * *

He didn’t have to be asleep to have dreams. 

He had dreams in waking hours with his eye open – and occasionally both. His dreams came to him in the living flesh, soft and warm and oh so alive. He had dreams when he wrapped his arms around you, inhaling your familiar scent. He had dreams when you rested your head on his lap, practically purring as he gently massaged your scalp. He had dreams when your body was pressed against his, clothed or not. He had lovely dreams whenever he was with you. 

“ _To sleep, perchance to dream,_ ” did not apply to only his sleep.

No, Lambo didn’t need sleep to have dreams.


	18. Soft

**Who is rich? He who rejoices in his portion.**

**~The Talmud**

* * *

Lambo loved sleeping at your place. It didn’t happen frequently and he couldn’t risk it often, nor would you let him come by too regularly. It was rare to be able to sleep in your bed with you and he loved every chance he got. Everything about your bed, especially you, was so soft.

Smiling tenderly in the darkness, he reached out for you.

The lights were out, and his eyes were still adjusting, but there was no mistaking the quiet sigh that escaped you as his hand gently cradled the side of your face. Your own hand came up to capture his, holding it in place as you both enjoyed being together.

“Lambo…”

He shifted closer at the request in your voice, and you leaned forward as well until your forehead were touching, hair intermingling. He melted as you nuzzled against him, and he sighed your name.


	19. Heal

**Throughout history, "tender loving care" has uniformly been recognized as a valuable element in healing.**

**~Larry Dossey**

* * *

“Ow!”

Lambo’s head snapped up from his book, instantly alert. He saw you clutching your hand as you quietly hissed in pain. He blinked. “Goodness, what happened?”

“Paper cut,” you replied tersely, rummaging through your desk drawer for a Band-Aid. “Damn, where the hell…”

Lambo sighed and set his book down as he stood up. He strode around your desk and plucked the now found package of Band-Aids from your hand. He ignored your protests as he opened the flimsy box and took one out.

You pouted as Lambo tore open the Band-Aid and gently wrapped it around your wounded finger. “I could have done it myself.”

Lambo caught your hand as you dropped it, lifting it to his lips. He tenderly placed a kiss on your injured finger before opening his left eye to look at you, smiling softly.

“There. All better.”


	20. Blood

**Hate the sin, love the sinner.**

**~Mahatma Gandhi**

* * *

You hated his blood.

It was red.

It tended to seep through and spread across the white gauze bandages he used.

Seeing it meant he got hurt, so you hated his blood.


	21. Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one update today.

**Death is a debt we all must pay.**

**~Euripides**

* * *

Death was a part of his world. It stole the lives of allies, enemies, and family alike. Death came for everyone, any time. It collected the poorest beggar and the richest man, the young virgin and the experienced prostitute, everyone. Well, death was a part of life in general, not just the mafia.

Lambo was not a fool. Though he wanted to believe in forever he knew there was no such thing. Not for love, not for life, but gazing down at your relaxed features as you lay on his lap, he hoped that even if your love didn’t last then maybe, at very least, your life would.


	22. Torn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three updates today to make up for missing one yesterday.

**In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.**

**~Theodore Roosevelt**

* * *

You were not born into the mafia, and not once while growing up did you ever think that it would be part of your life. Back then, for you, the mafia mainly existed in movies and was never a real threat you had to consider. Now, however, you worked for an actual, real mafia boss.

He wasn’t a bad man. At least, you didn’t think he was. Granted, you’ve never seen him angry or fighting with the mysterious ‘flames’ you’ve heard of from Lambo that one time before he slapped a hand over his mouth. Tsunayoshi Sawada seemed like a good person… but he was still called ‘boss’ and ‘Decimo’ for a reason, right?

Thinking about it, you think your boss might have let you go if you asked. And, after realizing what you’d unintentionally gotten yourself into, you had seriously considered more than once. But…

You picture Lambo’s face, and not for the first time, you feel conflicted. He’s the main reason you stay, but he’s also the main reason your emotions are jumbled up. He’s the most beautiful lover you’ve ever had, but he’s also _young_. You alternate between bliss and self-loathing, and any other mix of emotions over your relationship.

For the sake of yourself and your family, you should cut ties with the Vongola and just move on with your life. 

And yet, when he says your name or you meet his eyes, you tell yourself, _‘Just a while longer.’_


	23. Promise Me

**It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath.**

**~Aeschylus**

* * *

“Goodness,” Lambo sighed, running a hand through his hair as he trudged through the Vongola estate, on a search for I-Pin. “I probably don’t even have to ask but I should make sure…”

The night they’d talked, it had completely slipped his mind to ask her to promise not to tell anyone. It was the promise he had made—and broken in talking to I-Pin—on his lover’s insistence, and he should probably get I-Pin to promise not to speak of their talk, but honestly speaking—

He flinched as Bianchi unexpectedly appeared from around the corner, flipping through a magazine. She looked up just as Lambo paled. Her eyes narrowed and her poison cooking appeared as she shouted in rage. 

“ROMEO!”

Lambo turned on his heels and ran back down the hall, no doubt in his mind that he was running for his life. He could always ask I-Pin later when he wasn’t in danger.

Although, knowing I-Pin, he probably didn’t have to.


	24. Childhood

**Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no fibs.**

**~Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer**

* * *

You had a normal childhood. Or rather, you had a childhood without mafia involvement, thank you very much.

Lambo, however, had been born into the mafia. He was a hitman before he was even five years old.

You never asked him if he had killed anyone and he never offered.


	25. Family

**I was feeling like a rock in a stream with the water passing by me, not fully engaging in life with this heavy burden hanging over me.**

**~Lisa Bonavita, Secrets Exposed: When Remaining Silent is No Longer an Option**

* * *

_You will never be part of the Vongola family._

This thought struck you as you were walking down the hall, having exited Vongola Decimo’s office after delivering your monthly report. Sure you were employed by the Vongola family but that didn’t automatically make you a member of the family. An associate maybe, but that was at best. At worst you were a grunt, barely noticeable.

As for your relationship with Lambo, that was in the dark because that was where you wished it to be. Lambo wanted you front and center but you would have none of it. He was younger than you and his age made you feel self-conscious, not to mention like a cradle-robber. You didn’t want his family’s eyes upon you, not the Bovino nor the Vongola.

Feeling that way, keeping it that way… no matter what Lambo said, wished or dreamed, you would never be part of his family.

Either of them.


	26. Trust

**The only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him.**

**~Henry L. Stimson**

* * *

Gokudera asked I-Pin if she knew where Lambo was.

She did.

But she didn’t say, though she didn’t lie either.


	27. Love

**The heart has its reasons that reason knows nothing of.**

**~Blaise Pascal**

* * *

He wanted to see you, in the morning, noon, and night, and in all states you could be. 

He wanted to hear your voice, make you laugh and enjoy you saying his name.

He wanted to touch you, hold your hand, and kiss your lips.

From the bottom of his heart, that’s all he knew.


	28. Please

**The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.**

**~Elisabeth Foley**

* * *

Lambo, having found I-Pin, clapped his hands together in front of him as he begged. “If someone asks you, please don’t tell them anything about my girlfriend.”

I-Pin sighed and folded her arms. “Why do you even have to ask me that?”

Lambo smiled sheepishly, hands lowering. He’d been right after all.


	29. Thank You

**A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked.**

**~Author Unknown**

* * *

“Oh, right,” I-Pin said, remembering. “Gokudera-san was looking for you earlier.”

Lambo sighed, scratching the back of his head. “Did he say what he wants?”

“He’s probably wondering why you aren’t training,” I-Pin replied, giving him a hard stare.

Lambo laughed nervously, hands up. “I-I’ll go look for him and see what he wants.” He relaxed and smiled in gratitude. “Thank you, I-Pin, for everything.”

I-Pin grinned back and punched him lightly on the arm. “Think nothing of it, Crybaby Lambo.”


	30. Glass

**Fear is a phoenix. You can watch it burn a thousand times and still it will return.**

**~Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom**

* * *

Lambo could not afford to be careless. He knew that one unthinking move could break you, make you end everything. The last thing he wanted was to shatter this fragile relationship like so much glass, painful to pick up and difficult to put back together…

…and maybe better left broken.

( _just the thought left the taste of ash in his mouth_ )


	31. Hate

**We hate some persons because we do not know them; and will not know them because we hate them.**

**~Charles Caleb Colton**

* * *

Bianchi knows you hate her.

She just can’t figure out why.


	32. Murderer

**Why do we kill people who are killing people to show that killing people is wrong?**

**~Holly Near**

* * *

A hitman is an assassin.

Assassins end lives.

Lambo is a hitman.

He was an assassin.

He was… a murderer.


	33. Illness

**The question is not how to get cured, but how to live.**

**~Joseph Conrad**

* * *

Sometimes, just to get to have time to spend with you, Lambo would feign illness and escape to your office or your home, depending on where he knew you’d be. He wasn’t a good liar about it, and would mostly get eye rolls in response and no real curiosity, which was fine with him. Although sometimes, after a prolonged absence, he really would feel as though he was ill. 

Seeing you again always made the feeling go away, though.


	34. Grave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four updates today because I missed one day on Canada Day. This is the last one.
> 
> Fish name inspired by Admiral Bubbles from My Goldfish is Evil!

**Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.**

**~George Eliot**

* * *

Lambo silently thought that it was both cute and slightly heartbreaking that you would visit the grave of a deceased fish, a secret grave in a public park, in fact. He’d heard about your visits, but this was the first time you had let him come with you. Beneath a tree near a narrow river, you both stood in silence for a moment, honoring the life of Lieutenant Fizz. After a while, you gently tossed down a flower and permitted him to take your hand and lead you away.

He had heard the story about Lieutenant Fizz about three to four times before now. The fish had been a birthday gift from your mother, a pure white molly. You had loved that fish, your trusted confidant and companion for several years before their death.

…Had hated cleaning its tank with a passion, but still.


	35. Ocean

**The only time that love takes a holiday is when we go on vacation together.**

**~Anthony T.Hincks**

* * *

Lambo strode into your apartment, keys in hand. He beamed at you as though he’d just had a brilliant idea, and you wondered what he had up his sleeve. You gazed impassively over your newspaper as he leaned across your dining table. His voice was strangely chipper.

“We should go on a vacation to the ocean.”

Rolling your eyes, you turned the page of your newspaper.

Lambo, undeterred, came around and wrapped his arms around your shoulders, putting his face in your hair as he tried to convince you. “Think about it, just the two of us, somewhere far away where no one knows us.”

“I highly doubt that,” you replied drily, your eyes drifting over the black print before you. “The shadow of the Vongola stretched far.”

Lambo pouted into your hair. That was true, but… “Please?”

You turned another page. “When, and how long?”

Lambo stared down at the top of your head. “Huh?”

“I do have to give notice that I’m taking holidays, you know,” you told him.

Lambo brightened, hardly believing his luck. “We’re going?”

You turned to him, smiling wryly. “Why not? Let’s go see the ocean.”

Lambo laughed and hugged you. “We’ll have a great time, you’ll see!”

You would never tell him but you had always wanted to go to the ocean with a special someone, like in those romantic movies or novels. Little did you know that Lambo was following the same train of thought.


	36. Light

**Ô, Sunlight! The most precious gold to be found on Earth.**

**~Roman Payne**

* * *

Sunlight hit the curtains, casting dim light into the room and across the bed and its two occupants. Shifting in bed you mumbled sleepily and slowly blinked your eyes open. Silence met your ears, save for the sound of the surf outside. Eventually you carefully turned over on your side and came face to face with your sleeping partner.

The soft dim light permitted his familiar features to be visible. You watched him as the light grew stronger and still he slept on.

Sighing softly, you reminded yourself that the two of you were far away from anyone who knew you, so there was no reason to be antsy as the day grew brighter. Today, at least, there was no reason to scurry away.


	37. Beautiful

**Do I love you because you're beautiful,  
Or are you beautiful because I love you?**

**~Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Cinderella**

* * *

He was beautiful.

Tousled sable hair, green eyes, long lashes, smooth skin… it was no wonder the girls went wild over him.

You snuggled closer to him, smirking slightly, knowing that if they knew, you’d be the envy of them all.


	38. Pain

**Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.**

**~M. Kathleen Casey**

* * *

Lambo didn’t like pain. He avoided it as much as he could, hence why he didn’t like training.

But of the kinds of pain he’d experienced in his life, he hated emotional pain the most.

And being ignored by you, with you pretending that you didn’t know him, hurt worst of all.


	39. Blind

**Justice may be blind, but she has very sophisticated listening devices.**

**~Edgar Argo**

* * *

Reborn wasn’t blind. He knew perfectly well what Lambo was up to, where he went and who he saw.

And frankly, as long as it was not detrimental to the Family, Reborn didn’t care what the stupid cow did.

( _and it’s not as though that woman could overpower the idiot_ )


	40. Apologize

**Apology is a lovely perfume; it can transform the clumsiest moment into a gracious gift.**

**~Margaret Lee Runbeck**

* * *

“I’m sorry,” you said to Lambo, making his blood freeze and his heart skip a beat as his eye widened.

No, nothing good ever followed words like that! 

He spun to face you, panic on his face, ready to beg and plead ( _he wasn’t ready_ ).

You turned from the refrigerator, frowning past the open door into the interior as you finished your statement. 

“We’re out of grapes.”

( _he never did tell you what was so funny that he had to laugh_ )


	41. Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Work has been a right pain in the neck. :/
> 
> Will post up to chapter 48 today.

**Don't let your dreams go up in smoke - practice fire safety.**

**~Author Unknown**

* * *

Even if it wasn’t literal, you were definitely playing with fire at this point in life.

Being involved with the mafia, even in your own small way, was way too much interaction. Being in contact with that underworld meant that it could lash out at you and those you held dear, those who knew nothing of it or your involvement. Although, if you just kept your head down, maybe nothing would happen.

Keeping your head down, though, was completely shot to hell considering that you were with Lambo, who was not only younger than you, but also a “Guardian”, which you understand as being an important position of some kind. Even disregarding Lambo’s apparent important role, being in a relationship with him was just trouble waiting to happen; with your friends and family, with the law, with his ‘Families’ respectively. Not to mention that Lambo himself was capable of hurting you, even if he didn’t realize it.

Maybe you hadn’t meant to play with fire, but you were, and you aren’t fire-proof in the least.


	42. One Day

**It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.**

**~Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy**

* * *

Yours was a secret relationship. He could understand, the age difference being what it was, but the secrecy still hurt. Aside from letting you go, which was completely off the table for him, all Lambo could do was wait for time to pass.

He wouldn’t always have to worry that someone would step in and put a stop to you and him. There will come a day when no one will have the right to do that because in a couple years he’ll be old enough to make his own decisions without interference. The day was coming when he could take your hand, hold it high and declare who you were to his whole Family, to the whole damn world if he liked.

But, the day he was really looking forward to was the day when you would _let_ him.


	43. For You

**My thoughts are free to go anywhere, but it's surprising how often they head in your direction.**

**~Author Unknown**

* * *

One of the first few things you learned about Lambo were two of his favorite things. He’d said it mostly in passing, on that day you two had been left alone for the first time by chance. Some part of you had filed away the information, and now it lingered in your mind because he was special to you.

Thus, you kept your refrigerator stocked with grapes.

Just for him.


	44. Photo Album

**Keep some souvenirs of your past, or how will you ever prove it wasn't all a dream?**

**~Ashleigh Brilliant**

* * *

It was risky to keep physical evidence of your relationship with Lambo, but when it came to pictures you couldn’t help yourself. You kept a photo album hidden away, filled with pictures of the two of you, both together and separately. You wouldn’t let him keep pictures of you with him so any he took you kept in the album as well. 

Lambo enjoyed it when he could drop by and flip through it. He felt pleased when looking at all the moments you had both captured in time. Those moments would never come again but you and he could look back and enjoy them. 

Now, if he could only convince you to give him a copy of the entire thing...


	45. Memory

**Beautiful hours move so quickly.**

**~Irene Hunt, Up a Road Slowly**

* * *

He’s not asleep just yet, cuddled up next to you, but he’s getting there. Feeling warm and pleasant with your arms around him, Lambo realized something.

Even if it's painful sometimes, even if it's complicated, Lambo doesn't want this, or you, to be just a memory.


	46. Hope

**In reality, hope is the worst of all evils, because it prolongs man's torments.**

**~Friedrich Nietzsche, Human, All Too Human, 1878**

* * *

It is his hope that one day he’ll be able to introduce you to the other important people in his life. He wants to properly introduce you to I-Pin, who already knows about you and him. He wants to show you off to Tsuna, and Gokudera, and everyone else.

He says as much once in a while, worrying when you tense at the mention of formally meeting the others he cares about. He tries not to think about it too much, reassuring himself that you won’t always feel that way. He quietly hopes, pushing away negative thoughts.

( _and it is your hope, though you’ve never outright told him, that he never gets the chance_

_because even when he’s eighteen, you think you’ll still be afraid_ )


	47. Numb

**I am a private person, but I will reveal this about myself: if you start massaging my shoulders, don't expect me to tell you to stop.**

**~Robert Brault**

* * *

Your leg went numb and you poked Lambo on the nose to inform him he had to remove his head from your lap now. He pouted at first, and refused to move until you told him that you had lost the feeling in one leg.

After hearing that, Lambo happily massaged the feeling back into it, hands working magic up and down the length of your affected limb.

You huffed and flicked his bangs when he gave you a suggestive grin from his knees.


	48. Fate

**Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will.**

**~Jawaharlal Nehru**

* * *

****

_That day…_

“Excuse me, young man,” you called, finally spying someone.

“Goodness,” Lambo sighed, right eye closed as usual. He stopped and looked in your direction. “You don’t have to call me ‘young man’. My name is Lambo.”

“Lambo, then,” you replied drily. You shifted your monthly report to the other arm, wishing it wasn’t so thick. “Is Vongola Decimo in? I’ve come to give my report as per usual, and he’s not in his office.”

And there was a strange lack of security in the place, and it was low key starting to freak you out.

“Ah, no,” Lambo answered, recalling that Tsuna had run out with Gokudera and Yamamoto hot on his heels, calling over his shoulder for Lambo to watch the house until he got back. “He’s gone. I’m not sure when he’ll be back.”

“Oh dear,” you said, almost sighing it in your annoyance. It was so dreadfully hot outside too. You would hate to have to leave and then come back. “We had a meeting today. It’s strange he’s not here. I guess his sudden business must have really been important.”

“I can keep you company until he returns,” Lambo offered. “He did leave me in charge after all.”

You frowned doubtfully at him. “I don’t know. I could always just come back tomorrow…”

Lambo smiled slightly, having drifted closer during the conversation. “Come now, wouldn’t it be better to wait and get it over with, rather than rescheduling the whole thing and having to come back again?”

You blinked. Well… he did have a point. 

Lambo offered his arm. “Let’s wait in the lounge. I’m sure I can find us something cool to drink while you wait.”

You shifted the report again, gazing warily at the offered limb, and after a long moment you cautiously took his arm. He smiled at you, and as he led you away, you firmly told yourself, _‘No, brain.’_

****

_…was fate._


	49. Alive

**We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.**

**~Thornton Wilder**

* * *

You knew Lambo’s world was dangerous, overflowing with powerful and dangerous people. His world was complex and governed by its own laws and rules, very little of which you knew. It was not gentle or kind by nature.

He’s strong enough to have the title of ‘Guardian’, but still you worry. What sort of danger does he face when he’s not with you? You’ve held his body, and part of you doubts that he has strength enough to overcome his trials. Guns are a constant worry of yours too.

So each time he walks through your door, you cannot help the relief that floods your body and eases the weight in your stomach.

( _he’s still alive_ )


	50. Ice

**Nothing burns like the cold.**

**~George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones**

* * *

You could be so cold sometimes, both literally…

“Goodness,” Lambo exclaimed softly upon taking your hand. He clasped it between his and held it close to him. “You feel so cold.”

…and figuratively.

“My ice queen,” Lambo cooed playfully, trying to melt your frigid expression. He started sweating when your expression remained the same. What did he do this time?


	51. Go Down Fighting

**Reality is not easy, but all this make-believe doesn't make it easier.**

**~Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Infidel)**

* * *

Lambo’s hands tightly clutched his cow-print mug as he listened to Haru and Bianchi discuss the latest episode of their favorite soap opera. He overheard from the pantry where he had fled to upon hearing Bianchi’s voice approach.

“How could she seduce him? He’s only sixteen years old, barely seventeen!” Haru is outraged by the actions of the one of the actresses playing a stay-at-home mom. “She’s way too old for him!”

“And it is not as though she loves him,” Bianchi put in, stirring sugar into her drink. “If there was love there then I would not protest, for after all, what is stronger than love?”

“But there is no love,” Haru complained, tapping her fingers on the counter. She exhaled forcefully. “She just wants him for one thing. And she’s married! How could she?”

“Infidelity is unattractive,” Bianchi agreed, setting down her drink. She paused for a moment. “But he loves her. I don’t think he’ll go down without a fight.”

“If she’ll let him, which I doubt,” Haru sighed. “He’s only been set up for heartbreak. She wants him for one thing and she’s not willing to fight for him. Argh, I’m dreading when they’re found out.”

Lambo remained in the pantry as their voices faded down the hall. He stared down at his mug, wondering if he should start watching this series too.


	52. See You in Hell

**If you're going through hell, keep going.**

**~Winston Churchill**

* * *

“I’m going to hell,” whispered said actress playing said stay-at-home mom in said series.

“I’ll meet you there,” you replied drily to the television.


	53. Boredom

**Boredom flourishes too, when you feel safe. It's a symptom of security.**

**~Eugene Ionesco**

* * *

You have too much paperwork to even indulge him in conversation. In your defense, it’s not because you were slacking off. You’re not sure who is to blame, exactly, and you’re too swamped to investigate at the moment.

Lambo, apparently, has nothing to do, having trudged into your office at some point to lay claim to one of the chairs. He must have noticed you were legitimately too busy to talk because you hadn’t noticed him yet.

Then he yawned, you heard it, and then you were yawning too.


	54. Stars

**Happiness is always there. You just have to choose to see it. There's no point dwelling in the dark and ignoring the light of the stars.**

**~Carrie Hope Fletcher**

* * *

“When you wear this, think of me,” Lambo said one day, placing something around your neck. He clipping the ends together and kissed the top of your head as he placed his hands on your shoulders while you stared at it in the mirror of your dresser.

“Stars,” you observed, touching the tiny gold stars with your fingertips. You looked at him in the mirror. “Why stars?”

Lambo grinned. “Because I’m star material, my love.”

You rolled your eyes. Lambo pouted and placed his arms around your shoulders and his chin on your head. “Don’t you like it?”

“I like it,” you replied, not referring if you liked the necklace or being called ‘my love’. Your next sentence clarified that. “It’s pretty without being overly attention-seeking.”

“Well, I had wanted to get you bigger ones, you know, to reflect the depth of my star quality,” Lambo admitted, straightening but keeping his hands on your shoulders. He stared at your reflection ruefully. “But if I did, I suspected that you wouldn’t wear it around.”

“I’m glad you were sensible then,” you said drily. 

Silence reigned for a moment before Lambo leaned his head closer to yours. “Don’t you want to know why there are two stars instead of just one?”

You stared at him warily, making a guess. “One for you and… one for me?”

Lambo beamed. “Yes!” He turned his head and placed a quick kiss on your face. “One for me and my star quality, and the other for the star in my life.”

You gazed at the image of you two in the mirror, and his obviously happy face. Managing to give him a small smile, you traced the two stars with a fingertip. 

_But Lambo, stars may look close together when they’re actually light years apart…_

There was also the fact that some stars were already dead, but you didn’t say any of that aloud. You didn’t want to rain on his parade.


	55. Darkness

**I am terrified by this dark thing  
That sleeps in me;  
All day I feel its soft, feathery turnings, its malignity.**

**~Sylvia Plath, Ariel**

* * *

You like the darkness, both metaphorical and literal. In the metaphorical darkness of anonymity where few knew your name or face, you didn’t have to worry about being stared at wherever you went. In the literal darkness, night time felt safer, whether that was actually true or not.

That was where you feel safest to be with Lambo.

( _underage, mafia, Guardian, the little brother—everything you shouldn’t have given a second look, a chance_ )


	56. Food

**Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.**

**~Voltaire**

* * *

“My, my,” Lambo sighed, walking into the office with his hands in his pockets as a plastic bag hung from his wrist. “What a dilemma.”

You glanced up from your work, sparing a look at the young Thunder Guardian. Your eyes flicked back to your work, penning a letter (an actual letter!). 

“What is it?”

Lambo took a seat across from your desk, leaning forward. His open eye focused on you as he smiled lazily. “It seems I have no one to enjoy these fine grapes with.”

You chuckled, looking up from your work, “All right, I guess I deserve a short break.”

Of course there were strings attached. Lambo wouldn’t let you eat any unless he got to feed them to you.


	57. Shut Up

**A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.**

**~Ingrid Bergman**

* * *

“—not to mention that one of my co-workers has gone and misplaced some important documents,” you continued ranting, slamming cupboards shut as you went about preparing dinner. 

Lambo watched you from the table, right eye closed as his left followed your movements. You’d been ranting since he’d gotten here, and he had a feeling you’d been ranting to yourself even before then. You showed no signs of stopping either.

“If she doesn’t find them then I won’t be able to complete _my_ report, and how am I going to explain that to the boss? I don’t like keeping the boss waiting, any boss! I feel incompetent and—”

You felt a hand on your face and turned obligingly, only to have Lambo lock his lips with yours, stopping you mid-sentence.

He pulled away after a moment and met your stare. “You’re not incompetent, and it’s not your fault.” He smiled, “Come, let’s forget work and just enjoy ourselves, hmm?”

You blushed and scowled, looking away. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”

Lambo laughed. “Forgive me?”

You ran a hand through your hair and glanced back at him. You smiled ruefully, “Sure. And I guess it is an effective way to shut someone up.”

“I promise I won’t get _too_ mad if you use it on me,” Lambo promised playfully.

You rolled your eyes and pointed at the stove. “Stir the pot, Lambo.”


	58. Savior

**One can pay back the loan of gold, but one dies forever in debt to those who are kind.**

**~Malayan Proverb**

* * *

“Goodness,” you blurt softly, finding yourself in some type of garage. In your dismay you don’t realize you’ve picked up some of Lambo’s mannerisms. “Now I know I’m definitely, completely lost.”

“Lost, eh?” a voice repeats, making you jump in surprise. The owner of the voice smiles slightly, pulling off grease stained gloves. “Sorry. The name’s Spanner. Do you need directions?”

“Ah, sorry,” you apologize. “These renovations and detours have turned me all upside down. I was trying to find Decimo’s temporary office.”

The white stick in Spanner’s mouth shifted as he thought about it. After a long moment he pointed over your shoulder, “To your right when you leave, down the hall, second left turn… three doors down on the right.”

You resisted the urge to exhale in relief. Now it seems you’ll be able to be punctual after all. You bowed slightly, “Thank you. You’re a life saver!”

“Life Saver,” he repeated slowly. He pulled something out of his pocket and held them up. They were red candy suckers. “I prefer these. Want one?”

You blinked. “Uh, sure…”

Spanner watched your back for a moment as you headed for the door, candy in one hand and a briefcase in the other. Scratching his head, he turned back to his work, dismissing the event from his mind.


	59. Gift

**A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver.**

**~Thomas A Kempis**

* * *

Lambo blinked at the package of mysterious origin which was delivered to him anonymously. Living in the mafia world, he was slightly wary and brought it to Gokudera, holding it out at arm’s length.

Gokudera scowled at the package being held out to him. “Oi, stupid cow, what’s this?” 

“It has no name,” Lambo explained. “I don’t know who sent it or where it came from.”

Gokudera’s eyes narrowed. He leaned closer to the object, tilting his head to listen. After a moment he straightened and shrugged. “It’s not a bomb, if that’s what you’re worried about. I can’t hear anything inside. If it’s food you should probably throw it out. I wouldn’t put it past my sister to try offing you from a distance.”

Lambo paled as Gokudera walked off. He set it down on the floor and returned with a broom, poking the box. After a few moments he finally managed to lift the lid and push it aside, closing his eyes just in case. When he didn’t immediately die, Lambo opened his eye and stared down at it.

Cow-print slippers lay revealed.

“Are these from you?” Lambo later asked, walking into your house with said slippers on his hands.

You nodded, holding a glass of wine. Lambo laughed and neglected to mention any concerns he’d had about it being a bomb or poisoned food. 

“Thank you!”


	60. Music

**Music is what feelings sound like.**

**~Author Unknown**

* * *

“Lambo.”

A smile instinctively formed on his lips as his name was called. His name from your lips was always music to his ears.

Saying your name in response, he hoped you shared the same sentiment.


	61. Nature

**He drew me like gravity.**

**~M. Leighton, For the Love of a Vampire**

* * *

It was his nature to be relaxed and laid back. 

You liked that about him.

(About both of them.)


	62. Pity

**A beautiful person is protected like a beautiful flower in a garden which many gardeners tend.**

**~Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life**

* * *

I-Pin can’t help the anger that flares in her stomach when she sees you exiting the garage, calling back a goodbye to Spanner. She knows you have the right to make new friends, that she doesn’t know you. That’s true—the two of you are strangers to each other.

But she also knows how Lambo feels about you, that he talks to her about you with a stupid grin on his face. There’s a special look that settles over him whenever he recounts special memories, when he has a meeting with you to look forward to.

Her friend is in love with you.

From the subtle probing she’s done in their conversations, she’s mostly sure that Lambo hasn’t noticed your interactions with Spanner yet. She bites her lip to keep from saying anything as you pass by. If she says anything, you’ll know that Lambo told her—that he broke a promise—and she promised not to say anything.

Later that same day, Lambo doesn’t understand why I-Pin tells him to pay more attention as she smacks him upside the head.


	63. Laugh

**Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.**

**~Kurt Vonnegut**

* * *

Lambo likes to hear you laugh. It wasn’t his favorite trait of yours at first, but somehow, it had climbed the ranks. Now, he tries to make you laugh with his jokes, though, ironically, he rarely succeeds when he’s trying.

He likes to think that he knows most, if not all, of your laughs. He can tell when you’re faking it, or when your anxious or nervous beneath it. He’s heard you belly-laugh to the point of tears, something you insist that he not bring up. He’s even heard you laugh while crying sad tears (honestly a laugh he never wants to hear again, because there was nothing he could do when you did that and he doesn’t want to feel like that again).

So, when they start ringing _hollowly_ (something almost real, but it _isn’t_ ), he wonders if something’s wrong.

When he asks, you say that nothing is.

And it hurts, just a little ( _more than a little_ ), that you can’t confide in him.


	64. Fun

**Lead me not into temptation; I can find the way myself.**

**~Rita Mae Brown**

* * *

You stared at his back as he worked. “What do you do for fun, Spanner?”

“I’m doing it,” he replied, his hands deep in the machinery before him.

“Hmm,” you hummed, trying not to picture the machinery suddenly turning on and him losing his hands in a spray of blood. Ick. The image made you since and you glanced up at the ceiling. “You’re good at fixing stuff, right?”

Spanner paused. He turned around to stare at you.

“Oh, right, that’s pretty self-evident,” you smiled sheepishly, eyeing the garage and all its components. You looked back at Spanner who had turned back to his beloved machinery. “Well, do you know anything about household appliances, or know someone who knows about household appliances?”

“You saying I’m not good enough to fix household appliances?”

“Well, you do deal mostly with these complex machines,” you said slowly, trying to not say anything insulting about his precious Mosca units and the like. 

( _How_ you are allowed to see these things is beyond you, and you sometimes wonder if anyone told Spanner that maybe the borderline civilian shouldn’t see certain things; or, if they did, and he just ignored that order.) 

You continued. “Household appliances seem kind of simple in comparison.”

“They are simple,” Spanner said, standing up. He turned to you and pulled off his gloves. “Your implied request is easy enough. What needs fixing?”

It’s while you’re walking home with Spanner that you hope no one misinterprets the scene and that Lambo doesn’t make one of his sudden appearances. You didn’t want him to take it the wrong way. Just because his secret older girlfriend was walking together with a man her age to go to her place didn’t mean anything was going on. There wasn’t!

You just desperately wanted your air-conditioner and toaster to work again.

The fact that you think Spanner is attractive is _completely_ irrelevant!


	65. If Only

**Calvin: There's no problem so awful, that you can't add some guilt to it and make it even worse.**

**~Bill Watterson, The Complete Calvin and Hobbes**

* * *

You feel guilty for liking Spanner. You hadn’t been able to identify the feeling when you first started your acquaintance with him, but now that you have, you can hardly stop thinking about it. Lambo would never tell you who you could or couldn’t be friends with, or so you think. 

Actually, to amend that thought, he’d probably heavily advise against any dangerous persons he knew you were talking to since he was aware that you were a civilian and wouldn’t know who was who in the mafia. But still, yeah, you can’t picture him trying to control you for malicious reasons.

Spanner is part of the Vongola. He’s also older than Lambo, and not someone you’d have to hide a relationship with if that was the case, not like you have to with the young Guardian.

Argh, you thought of his age again! You hate it when you do that, and then you add more hate on top of that for _not_ thinking about it, and now you feel like scum.

( _you are scum, and you know why_ )

If only you hadn’t gotten to know Spanner. If the two of you hadn’t crossed paths then you wouldn’t be looking forward to seeing him like you do nowadays.

If only you hadn’t met Lambo. Or rather, if only you hadn’t given in to your baser desires in the face of his flirtations.

Then again, if only you weren’t so damn wishy-washy, at _least/i >!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second of my Happy Birthday to Me updates. I probably shouldn't count this one since it's complete on Lunaescence, but since I've lengthened both of these drabbles (65 and 66), I will.


	66. Rival

**No amount of regretting can change the past, and no amount of worrying can change the future.**

**~Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart**

* * *

Lambo finally noticed.

It’s by chance that he is passing the hallway at one end, when he glances to the side and sees you exit the garage. He’s so shocked to see you this far from big brother’s office that he stops in his tracks. He can only stare as you wave at someone he can’t see and then walk away, not even noticing him.

( _it hurts that he’s right here and you don’t notice at all_ )

Almost as if he wasn’t in possession of his own body, his feet moved him towards that very door. Looking inside, he saw Spanner’s back. Looking around, he saw that Spanner was the only one there.

Then, as if struck by lightning, Lambo returned to his senses and quickly walked away.

Since then, when he looks at you, all he can wonder is what that wave meant. Why were you in the garage when it was nowhere near where you submitted your reports? You’re a familiar enough face that he can picture hardly anyone stopping you since you’re not a dangerous individual, so he can see how you’d make it to that garage, he guesses. Ah, did this start that time they were doing renovations and hallways were blocked off? But then, what does Spanner think of you?

He should have been paying more attention. He shouldn’t have let this happen.

How could he have not noticed earlier that you have finally noticed a man closer to your own age?


End file.
